Trunk-collar construction.



G. H. WHEARY.

TRUNK COLLAR CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION HLED JUNE8.1914.

1,162,715. Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

/N VEN TUF? WITNESS/Z5 v X/ Q? v v M A TT'URA/Z Y PATENT Tries.

GEORGE HENRY WHEARY, or RACINE, WISCONSIN.

TRUNK-CQLLAR coNsr'iwcrioN.

Sp ecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30 11915.

Application filed June 8, 1914. Seria1No. 843,690.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. VVHEARY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine, in the countyof Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trunk-Collar Construction, of which the following is a description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in trunk collar construction and more particularly (although not solely) to thattype of trunk known as a wardrobe trunk. Trunks of this type are usually divided vertically medially into two sections which are hinged together and are'adapted to be swung laterally to open position to-gain access to the interior of the sections. In trunks of this type one of the sections is usually divided into drawer and other compartments and the other section is usually adapted to hold the wardrobeand is usually provided with rails and garment hangers suspended thereon which may be drawn from the sectionwhile suspended on the rails. The wardrobe section is usually. open at-its upper end and is provided with a top cover which is hinged to the wardrobe section or to the drawer section. As the open end of the section naturally weakens the end construction of the section, the top covers are constructed to overlap the upper edge, or what is known, in the nomenclature of the art, as the collar. This collar is usually secured to the inner upper edge portions of the section and projects upwardly from the three sides of the section and is overlapped by the side flanges of the cover which abut against the upper edges proper of the trunk sectionwhen the cover is in closed position. The side flanges of the cover are also provided with a depending strip of material which overlaps the side edges proper of the said section. Heretofore this collar has been formed of strips of wood glued and riveted to the upper edge portions of the wardrobe section and the garment hanger tracks have in turn been connected to a reinforcing band which was fastened to the collar by rivets or screws. This constructionis comparatively very expensive to manufacture and does not possess the strength desired as the light strips of wood are weakened by the considerable number of rivets extending therethrough.

Furthermore, the construction described materially increases the weight of the trunk and is also bulky in size and thereby lessens the capacity of thetrunk.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to overcome the before mentioned objectionable features and provide a trunk collar construction which is of simple construction, is strong and durable and is well adapted for the purpose desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a trunk collar construction in which the improved collar also serves the function of a reinforcing means for the upper end portion of the trunk and eliminates the use of a separate reinforcing means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a trunk collar formed of metal to .which the garment hanger tracks may be directly connected thereby forming a str on connection well able to withstand the her usage trunks are ordinarily subiected to.

A further object of theinvention is to provide a trunk collar construction which is particularly adapted to support garment hangertracks of either the removable type or of the fixed type.

Withthe above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved trunk collar construction and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views: Figure 1 is a top view of a wardrobe section of a wardrobe trunk provided with the improved collar construction, a portion of the drawer section of the trunk beingindicated by dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional detail view thereof taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a top detail view of a portion of the wardrobe section having a modified form of hanger track connected thereto. 7

Referring to the drawing the numeral 5 indicates the trunk body generally which is divided centrallyvertically to form a body portion 6 and a wardrobe section 7 hinged thereto and arranged to be swung.

horizontally to open position. end of the Wardrobe section is open as indicated by the numeral 8 and is covered by a top cover- 9 which is hinged to the upper front edge of the body section 6 and swings over the wardrobe section when the ward- The upper robe section is in closed position. The top cover is provided with depending front and side flanged portions 9, the lower edge portions of which abut against and rest upon the upper edge portions 10 of the wardrobe section. The depending flanges are ,provided with a strip of material 11 along its lower edge portion which overlaps the upper edge .portion of the wardrobe section when the said section is in closed position and the cover is swung thereover.

A collar 12 formed of a strip of metal or of material of greater strength than the material of the trunk walls is connected to the inner edge portion of the upper open end of i the wardrobe section and projects upwardly therefrom a sufficient distance to form comparatively a wide'collar which is overlapped by the side flanges of the top cover when the cover is in closed position. The collar is of approximately U-shape to conform to the contour ofthe wardrobe section and is firmly riveted to the upper edge portion of the said section. A strip of material 13 is interposed between the collar and the trunk section to offset the collar inwardly and provide clearance space between the said collar 12 and the side flanges 9 of the cover to accommodate the heads of rivets or other connected parts extending through the-said cover. i r

Garment hanger tracks 14 having extensible ends 15 are removably connected to the rear and side portions 16 and 17 respectively of the collar 12. The tracks support garment hangers [18 mounted thereon which may be slid outwardly upon the extensible ends to permit convenient access to the garments draped on the said hangers.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 3 the garment hanger track shown is indicated as non-removably fastened to the collar.

By constructing the collar of metal and in the manner shown the upper edge portion connection with ordinary trunks without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a trunk collar construction is provided which is of very simple construction and is well adapted for the purpose described.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a trunk, of a collar therefor consisting of a fiat strip of material of greater strength than the walls of the trunk and shaped'to conform to the contour of the inner surface of an open portion of the trunk and to extend partly into said open portion and fastened thereto and to be overlapped'by the cover of the trunk when said cover is in closed position, the inner face of said collar extending in a plane outwardly.

2. The combination with a trunk, of a collar therefor consisting ofa strip of metal shaped to conform to the contour of the open portion of the trunk and to be connected to said open portion and to project outwardly-therefrom and to be overlapped by the trunk cover when said, cover is in closed position, and a garment hanger rail connected at a plurality ofpoints to said collar.

3. The combination with a trunk, of a collar therefor consisting of'a U-shaped -meta1 strip mounted within the trunk and projecting outwardly from the open end thereof to a position to be overlapped by the side flanges of the trunk cover when in closed position, and track members connect ed to three sides of the U-shaped strip.

4. The combination with a wardrobe trunk divided medially vertically into two sections and-one of said sections having an upper open end, a U-shaped metal collar fastened to and projecting upwardly from the said open end, and a top cover hinged to the trunk and positioned to close the open end and overlap portions of the U-shaped collar.

5. The combination with a wardrobe trunk divided medially vertically into two sections and one of said sections having an upper 'open. end, a U-shaped metal collar fastened to and projecting upwardly from the said open end, a top cover hinged to the trunk andpositioned to close the open end and overlap portions of the U-shaped collar, and garment hanger rails connected to the rear and side portions of the U-shaped collar.

In testlmony whereof, I affix my signai ture, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HENRY'WHEARY.

Witnesses:

ANNA M. NELSON, Gnome BENNISH. 

